120: Chapter 120: The Layout by the Pool, the Dragon Soul Awakens

On the outskirts of Corrupt Dragon Pool, a natural depression obscured by dense decaying wood.

Lin Yue and Star Radiance hid within, observing the distant altar on the small island in the pool through cracks in the dead wood.

Star Radiance held a palm-sized bronze mirror, its surface reflecting the scene around the altar—this was a replica of her previously used 'Star Gazing Mirror,' now repurposed into a long-range reconnaissance Magical Artifact.

"There are thirty-seven guards around the altar, all Black Lotus Cult members, with cultivation levels between Early Stage Foundation Establishment and Middle Stage."

Star Radiance whispered, "But the real threat isn't them."

She adjusted the mirror's angle, aiming it at the base of the altar.

Three thick black chains appeared in the mirror, extending from the altar's base and disappearing into the depths of the Corrupt Dragon Pool.

The chains were covered with twisted runes, constantly flashing with dark red light.

"Those are... Spirit Devouring Soul Chains."

Star Radiance's voice was solemn, "An Evil Path Magical Artifact used to shackle and extract Dragon Souls. It seems the Rot Poison Flood Dragon's Dragon Soul is indeed imprisoned at the bottom of the pool, serving as a 'sacrifice' and 'energy source' for the Spirit Summoning Grand Ritual."

Lin Yue's gaze swept over the altar.

Besides the thirty-seven cult members, three figures were seated atop the altar.

In the center was an old man in a black robe, wearing a white bone crown, exuding the pressure of an Early Nascent Soul Stage cultivator, but his aura was cold and obscure, clearly a 'Sacrificer' deeply parasiticized by a spirit devouring seed.

To his left was a sinister-looking middle-aged woman, Late Golden Core Stage cultivation, with seven black bells hanging from her waist. The bells swayed slightly with her breathing, yet eerily made no sound.

To his right was a hunched figure, a strange man holding a skull staff, also Late Golden Core Stage cultivation, but Lin Yue noticed that his pupils were completely split into four lobes, like the compound eyes of some insect.

"An Early Nascent Soul Stage Sacrificer, two Late Golden Core Stage Protectors..."

Lin Yue pondered, "A direct assault has little chance of success. Moreover, once battle begins, the Sacrificer might activate the Spirit Summoning Grand Ritual prematurely, or... directly sacrifice the Dragon Soul to forcibly summon the Spirit Devouring Clan."

"So we must outsmart them."

Star Radiance put away the bronze mirror, "I have two plans."

"Tell me."

"Plan one: feint."

Star Radiance traced a simple topographical map on the ground. "There are 'miasma vents' on the east and west sides of the Corrupt Dragon Pool, which erupt large amounts of poisonous miasma every six hours. We can send someone to feign an attack on a vent, create chaos, and attract the guards' attention. Then, seize the opportunity to sneak into the bottom of the pool and rescue the Dragon Soul."

"The problem is that the Dragon Soul is confined by the Spirit Devouring Soul Chains, and forcibly rescuing it will trigger an alarm. Moreover, once the Dragon Soul is rescued, the Sacrificer will immediately notice."

"So there's also Plan Two: removing the firewood from under the cauldron."

She pointed to the base of the altar. "The core of the Spirit Summoning Grand Ritual is that 'Spirit Devouring Crystal Core,' which is both a guiding beacon and the energy hub that maintains the ritual. If we can destroy the Crystal Core, the ritual will naturally be interrupted."

"But the Crystal Core is protected by a Nascent Soul-level Restriction, making a direct assault almost impossible. Unless..."

Star Radiance looked at Lin Yue, "Unless we can use some means to temporarily shield or interfere with the Restriction's operation."

"Such as?"

"Such as... Dragon Soul Resonance."

She explained, "Although the Rot Poison Flood Dragon's Dragon Soul is imprisoned, its instincts remain. If we can establish a mental connection with it and guide it to actively impact its confinement, creating a Dragon Soul riot, we might be able to interfere with the Restriction for a short time, creating an opportunity for us."

"What is needed to establish a mental connection?"

"A 'container' that can hold the Dragon Soul's consciousness, and... at least three drops of unpolluted Dragon Clan Essence Blood as a primer."

Essence Blood... Lin Yue remembered that he still had a small bottle of 'Sub-Dragon Blood' separated from the heart source essence blood in his storage ring. Although its purity was not as good as the heart source essence blood, it should be sufficient as a primer.

As for a container... he looked at the star lord token on his waist.

This token contained the Dragon Soul imprint of a Star Lord who had been slain, perhaps it could serve as a temporary container.

"I have the Essence Blood, and I have a container. But how do we establish the connection? The Sacrificer won't just watch us cast spells."

"That will require timing."

Star Radiance looked up at the sky, obscured by miasma.

"On the night of the lunar eclipse, the Yin Qi between heaven and earth is at its strongest, and the Spirit Devouring Clan's summoning channel will become extremely unstable. At that time, the Sacrificer will have to fully maintain the ritual's operation and won't be able to spare any attention. That will be our only chance."

"So, we must sneak into a sufficiently close position before the lunar eclipse begins, and wait for the right moment?"

"Yes."

Star Radiance nodded, "And we can't bring too many people. The smaller the target, the lower the risk of exposure."

Lin Yue pondered for a moment.

"Then we'll split up."

He made his decision.

"You lead the Sharp Soldiers Camp and Qinglan Sect Disciples to establish a defensive line on the outskirts of the Corrupt Dragon Pool, preventing potential reinforcements and preparing for our rendezvous."

"I will sneak to the bottom of the pool alone and try to establish a connection with the Dragon Soul."

Star Radiance was startled.

"You alone? That's too dangerous! There must be guards at the bottom of the Corrupt Dragon Pool, and..."

"Precisely because it's dangerous, I can't bring anyone."

Lin Yue interrupted her, "I have the spirit slaying star scar protecting me, which restrains the Spirit Devouring Clan, giving me a greater chance of escape. Moreover..."

He paused, "I have some secrets that are not suitable for others to see."

His words were subtle, but Star Radiance understood.

She recalled Lin Yue's various abnormalities: his extraordinary restraint against the Spirit Devouring Clan, his rapid recovery after burning his Origin, and that crystal containing pure life Origin... This City Lord Lin harbored many secrets.

"I understand."

She didn't press further, "But you'll need at least one person to provide support from the outside. I'll have Senior Brother Star Dust..."

"No need."

Lin Yue shook his head, "Emissaries Star Dust and Star Sea need to maintain the outer Star Lock Grand Formation to prevent the miasma from spreading and enemies from escaping. Your presence commanding the periphery is more valuable than accompanying me."

Star Radiance wanted to say more, but seeing Lin Yue's determined gaze, she finally nodded.

"Alright. But promise me one thing."

"What?"

"Come back alive."

She looked at Lin Yue, her eyes calm like a river of stars, "The Star Track Pavilion has finally found an ally who can cooperate against the Spirit Devouring Clan; I don't want to lose him so soon."

Lin Yue was slightly taken aback, then smiled.

"Don't worry, I'm tough."

...Half an hour later.

Three li west of Corrupt Dragon Pool, inside a hidden decaying wood cave.

Lin Yue changed into a special 'Stealth Watersuit'.

This was refined by Elder Lin Shi from the skin of a 'Water Beast', plated with spirit radiance stone powder and purified wood ash, capable of completely concealing one's aura underwater, and highly resistant to poisonous miasma and corrosion.

Besides the spirit slaying star scar, a palm-sized bronze star compass was now hanging from his waist—this was a 'Positioning Star Compass' given by Star Radiance, which could guide him to the Dragon Soul's location at the bottom of the Corrupt Dragon Pool.

Everything was ready.

"Haotian, deduce the optimal infiltration route."

"Scanning the terrain at the bottom of the pool..."

After three breaths, a three-dimensional map appeared in his Sea of Consciousness.

The Corrupt Dragon Pool was about a hundred zhang deep, and its bottom was not flat, but filled with huge Flood Dragon bone remnants. Some of these bones were half-buried in the silt, others were obliquely inserted into the rock walls, forming a complex natural labyrinth.

The Dragon Soul's location was in the deepest part of the labyrinth, within a 'nest' formed by a Flood Dragon's skull.

Around the nest, twelve 'Corrupt Water Yin Puppet' roamed—these were Puppets pieced together from the corpses of pool creatures corroded by Spirit Devourer Qi, each possessing the strength of Late Foundation Establishment Stage to Early Golden Core Stage.

Even more troublesome, a 'Spirit Devouring Leech King' was coiled at the entrance of the nest.

That creature was five zhang long, completely black, its skin covered with suckers, and spiral teeth grew within the suckers. Its strength... Late Golden Core Stage.

"Infiltrating from the western rock crevice can avoid seven Yin Puppets. But the Leech King must be dealt with, otherwise, you cannot enter the nest."

Haotian suggested, "I recommend that master first use a 'Dragon Qi Lure' to draw away the Leech King, then quickly rush in."

"Dragon Qi Lure?"

"It's to use the Sub-Dragon Blood combined with the star lord token's Dragon Soul imprint to create a false 'Dragon Soul fluctuation' to attract the Leech King away from the nest. But the lure can only last for ten breaths, master must pass through the entrance within ten breaths."

Ten breaths... Lin Yue estimated the distance.

The distance from the nest entrance to the Dragon Soul's location was about thirty zhang.

At his speed, if he sprinted with all his might, he could reach it in five breaths.

But the premise was that there were no other obstacles along the way.

"Enough."

He took a deep breath and leaped into the Corrupt Dragon Pool.

The pool water was bone-chillingly cold and viscous like glue, mixed with strong Death Qi, poisonous miasma, and Spirit Devourer Qi.

Even with the watersuit's protection, Lin Yue still felt stinging sensations on his skin.

He concealed all his aura and silently dove down like a swimming fish.

Fifty zhang, sixty zhang, seventy zhang... As he descended to eighty zhang, the surrounding light had completely vanished, with only the faint starlight emitted by the star compass guiding his direction.

The scene at the bottom of the pool gradually became clear.

Huge Flood Dragon bones lay across like mountain ranges, their surfaces covered with black moss and worm-like fungi.

Those fungi emitted a dark red glow, illuminating the entire pool bottom as if it were Hell.

Lin Yue hugged the rock wall, cautiously moving westward.

Along the way, he saw three Corrupt Water Yin Puppet.

These monsters had fish-like heads, reptilian bodies, and dozens of tentacle-like limbs, slowly swimming in the silt, their hollow eye sockets constantly scanning their surroundings.

But the Stealth Watersuit's effect was excellent; the Yin Puppets did not discover him.

Finally, he reached the western rock crevice.

This was a narrow crack barely wide enough for one person to pass through, and a faint dark red light was vaguely visible deep within the crack—that was the subtle glow of the Dragon Soul emanating from inside the nest.

And at the entrance of the crack, the Spirit Devouring Leech King was coiled there, its massive body completely blocking the entrance.

It seemed to be in a deep slumber, but the suckers on its body were still rhythmically contracting and expanding, each contraction drawing a large amount of Spirit Devourer Qi from the surrounding water.

"Let's begin."

Lin Yue took out a small jade bottle from his storage ring, containing three drops of Sub-Dragon Blood.

He then took out the star lord token and dripped the Dragon Blood onto the character 'Jun' on its surface.

The moment the blood seeped into the token, a faint but pure Dragon Might emanated from it.

Lin Yue forcefully threw the token towards a pile of Flood Dragon bones thirty zhang to the east.

The moment the token landed in the pile of bones, Dragon Might erupted!

Buzz—!

The sleeping Leech King suddenly awoke!

Its eyeless head turned towards the direction of the Dragon Might, letting out a greedy hiss, then shot out like an arrow!

Opportunity!

Lin Yue's figure was like lightning, rushing out of the rock crevice and heading straight for the nest entrance!

Three breaths, he passed through the entrance.

Five breaths, he had already penetrated twenty zhang deep into the nest.

Eight breaths, a 'sacrificial altar' made of stacked Flood Dragon skulls appeared ahead.

Above the altar, a dark golden orb of light floated.

Inside the light orb, a miniature phantom of the Rot Poison Flood Dragon was vaguely visible, struggling and twisting in pain.

That was the Dragon Soul!

And around the altar, three thick Spirit Devouring Soul Chains were entwined, their runes flashing, constantly extracting the Dragon Soul's Origin.

Ten breaths!

Lin Yue rushed to the altar.

But he didn't act immediately; instead, he observed first.

The altar's surface was covered with complex formation patterns, which were connected to the Soul Chains, forming a precise 'Soul Extraction and Refinement Formation'.

Forcibly destroying it would likely cause the Dragon Soul to instantly collapse.

He had to find the formation eye.

"Haotian, analyze the Formation."

"Analyzing... there are three formation eyes: three rune nodes corresponding to the Dragon's head, heart, and tail. All three nodes need to be destroyed simultaneously to release the confinement without harming the Dragon Soul."

"Destroy them simultaneously... I can't do that alone."

Lin Yue frowned.

"Not necessarily."

Haotian suddenly said, "Master, have you forgotten the World Tree's root system?"

Lin Yue's eyes lit up.

That's right!

The World Tree's root system could penetrate space. Although the Grotto-heaven was damaged now, short-distance, small-scale penetration should still be possible.

"What's your certainty?"

"Seventy percent. But it requires master to use his own Spiritual Qi as a guide, providing coordinates for the root system."

"Then let's do it."

Lin Yue no longer hesitated, placing his hands on the edge of the altar and slowly injecting his Spiritual Qi.

At the same time, within the Grotto-heaven, Haotian mobilized three of the thinnest root systems, extending them from the Grotto-heaven's barrier, silently penetrating the Void Realm along Lin Yue's Spiritual Qi trajectory.

Ten zhang, five zhang, three zhang... The root systems precisely reached the three rune nodes from below.

"Now!"

The three root systems pierced out simultaneously!

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Three faint cracking sounds.

The rune nodes were destroyed by the root systems from within!

Buzz—!

The Soul Extraction and Refinement Formation instantly ceased operation!

The light on the Soul Chains rapidly dimmed, eventually turning into black powder and dissipating.

And that dark golden Dragon Soul light orb, at the moment of its release from confinement, burst forth with intense light!

Within the light, the phantom of the Rot Poison Flood Dragon slowly opened its eyes.

In those Dragon pupils, there was first confusion, then the relief of liberation, and finally... they settled on Lin Yue.

"Human Race... was it you... who saved me?"

An ancient, weary, yet still majestic voice, resonated directly in Lin Yue's Sea of Consciousness.

The Dragon Soul had awakened.